Hi there,
My name's Mike Shen. I'm an Avid and Final Cut Pro editor based in Oakland, California. I've done tons of work for Current TV, in addition to shows for PBS, HBO, NY Times Television, and National Geographic. I'm looking forward to meeting other filmmakers and being part of this community. Thanks to all, especially Doug and co. for creating this site.
www.mikejshen.com

Greetings, Maysam. For starters, you might want to look at some of the archived discussions we've hosted here (they're listed at the bottom of our homepage). Even though some took place years ago, they're still quite relevant. And it's like having a mini-tutorial on documentary producing and practices.

I joined because I was on a desperate search for your movie "Home Page". I watched it in class led by Professor Peggy Vail at Columbia University a couple years back (and you visited as well!) – I was completely awestruck. I had forgotten what the internet used to be like, (or did not realize, at the time, that the advent of the world wide web used to be populated with such strange and "new" things) in the 90s.
And now, I want to watch the movie again, somehow, but there doesn't seem to be any place selling, renting, or streaming the movie.
If you know where I could get a hold of a copy, please let me know!

True, but sometimes you need to know the past to understand the present. Also, I just really enjoyed your movie, that's all! Hopefully it will be digitally released – let me know when it does. I'll be jumping on it.
Thanks!
In reply to Doug Block's post on Wed 22 Feb 2012 :

Hello All, I am a doc film producer and made 3 films a few years ago, one that I had commercially picked up (it dealt with terrorism). While I had no professional (publicist) help, I managed to get into a few film festivals, but really found the "public eye" through the news/media, who wanted to use my footage...which I gave them freely of course. This said, I have joined some friends in post production of their film, which deals with the Middle East but a past snapshot in history...dealing with a peace treaty/Carter Admin. I have been working on getting us into film fests – NOT for the sake of winning prizes, but simply for getting "seen"...I know the "big mainstream" ones, a few which we have already been accepted to, but I was hoping to hear from ANY of you in this Forum about some other "more obscure" ones. Can anyone tell me about the Maine Int'l Film Fest and the Pittsburgh Independent Film Fest? Thanks!

I just completed my first doc called Casting By which is about the range of influence that casting has had on film history. I have a few questions about how to sequence our credits for the locked cut..is there a 'standard' as to the placement of Director, Producer etc cards or is it entirely up to us? Thanks!

Hello everyone, I am an audio engineer that has worked on documentaries and other post audio projects. I just wanted to introduce myself and let you know if you needed any help of info about sound i would love to help!

Hi everyone, my name is Anthony Rydzon but my friends call me Tony. I'm a documentary film producer, director, and writer living and working in Chicago IL. I'm looking forward to sharing ideas, making new 'Doc-Head' friends, learning from some of the best and brightest minds in the doc film community today, helping other filmmakers by passing along information to screenings or crowd-sourcing links, bouncing around new ideas with you guys in the discussion rooms, and whole lot more too.
Whew, I shouldn't have had that last cup of coffee!
Currently, I am working on my first feature length doc,"Finding Vivian Maier", a story about a "French-American" nanny who took over 100k photographs of people she encountered in the streets she walked in both NYC and Chicago- all the while keeping her passion and skill a secret till her death in 2007, when her archive of black and white negatives went to auction and was purchased by a young man living in Chicago's north side. You can learn more about the story at www.VivianMaier.comProduction is moving right along.
I also ran a successful Kickstarter campaign with my friend and director of the film and was selected to pitch at HocDoc's 2011 in Toronto, Canada.
Thanks everyone for giving me the opportunity to say hi and inviting me into your community. I promise to upload a profile pic soon and feel free to email me here or at mmadocfilms AT yahoo! Cheers!

my name is Victoria and I have completed one feature length doc. titled 'House of BOnes' on my family and a house. I am currently enrolled in the SVA MFA doc. program which is a wonderful program thus far. Have been learning a great deal. HAve some projects in the works and trying to finish a small film I am making on a neighborhood in port-au -prince. HAve been going there over the last 3 years since earthquake. I'm in NYC and delighted I finally signed up to be part of this. Hi D.

Hiya, my name is Tessa! I'm Belgian and currently working as an executive producer on a film noir about time travel in Venezuela. More than the scifi aspect, we focus on the Cuban exiles in Venezuela and the issues of dealing with a constantly changing environment, both as an immigrant and a timetraveller. As a setting we decided to use downtown Valencia (VE), to put the old colonial houses in a bit of a different light. This is our Prezi: http://prezi.com/fafeiphjnbx0/almost-midnight/

Seeing Casi Medianoche (Almost Midnight) is my first production, I joined D-Word to learn, look, read and discuss. I look forward to meeting people here!

Greetings, Tessa, it's great to have Venezuela represented here. Glad you found us, even if you seem to be working more in the fiction than doc world. Do you have a film background or do you come to film from another path?